The Mediterranean diet: good for your mental health, too?

Oct 13, 2009 11:29 AM

Here's food for thought: a new study suggests that eating a Mediterranean-style diet may also protect against depression.

The Mediterranean diet has long been linked to a lower risk of heart and circulation problems. The diet, based on the style of eating in southern European countries such as Spain and Greece, features plenty of olive oil, more fish than meat, low amounts of dairy, and lots of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and legumes (such as lentils and beans). It also includes a moderate amount of alcohol, such as red wine.

Researchers still aren't sure why the diet is linked to health benefits, but one factor thought to play a role is its low levels of unhealthy fats (found in butter, cheese, and red meat, for example) and higher levels of good fats (found in olive oil and fish, for example). Many experts believe the benefits of Mediterranean eating go beyond a healthier heart and circulation, with studies also showing a lower risk of diabetes and Alzheimer's, among other conditions. Researchers are also interested in whether this type of diet might affect mental health, as Mediterranean countries have lower rates of depression and suicide than many other countries.

To explore this theory, researchers recruited 10,000 Spanish university graduates, who filled in a food questionnaire at the start of the study and were then followed up regularly. Those whose eating habits were more closely aligned with a Mediterranean-style menu were less likely to be diagnosed with depression during the next four and a half years. They had about one third the risk of those whose eating habits were least like the Mediterranean diet.The researchers found that how much fruit, nuts, and legumes people ate, as well as the types of fats and oils their diet included, were strongly linked to their risk of depression. They think that the fatty acids in olive oil may play a role in lowering the rates of depression, but they conclude that the overall effect of the diet may be more important than individual foods.

This study wasn't designed to show cause and effect, so it can't prove that eating a Mediterranean-style diet was what lowered people's risk of depression. However, when the researchers put together their results, they did take into account other things that might have influenced people's chance of getting depression, such as how much exercise they got. This strengthens their findings.

What you need to know. The link between a Mediterranean diet and a healthier heart and circulation are well-known. This study shows that adhering to a Mediterranean-style menu may help your mental health as well.

—Sophie Ramsey, patient editor, BMJ Group

ConsumerReportsHealth.org has partnered with The BMJ Group (British Medical Journal) to monitor the latest medical research and assess the evidence to help you decide which news you should use.

How Mediterranean is your diet? Find out here. And read more on how the Mediterranean diet can reduce your risk of having a heart attack or a stroke (subscribers only).